Vending machine



Feb. 13, 1934. B. wAcHs Er Al. 1,947,322

VENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 14. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES g my. MG#

B. wAcHs Er Ax. 1,947,322

VENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 14. 1932 2 sheets-sheet 2 Feb. 13, 1934.

7%2 /15 f Z5 @Z'Z m d ATTORNEYS WITNESSvES 2,427

Patented Feb. 13, 1934 UNITED STATS VENDING MACHINE Benjamin Wachs Brooklyn, N. Y

and Mu ray A. Wachs, and David H.

clin, New York,

Application November 14, 1932 Serial No. 642,664

3 Claims.

This invention relates to vending machines,

and has particular reference to an improved coin controlled means for ejecting the article to be vended and for returning to the vendee a coin Which is inserted after the depletion of the merchandise. 1 One of the objects of the invention is to provide an extremely simple and inexpensive coin actuated article ejecting means, by virture of which the coin is employed to contact with and eject the articles to be vended.

More particularly, the invention resides in a coin actuated vending means, in which a manually movable element is provided with receives the coins inserted in the machine and which cooperates with a shelf or support to cause the coin to be guided into contact with the lowermost of a stack oi articles to be vended, for displacing the same from the stack and causing the article to gravitate through a suitable delivery element or chute.

The invention further comprehends a stack follower having means for intercepting the passage of the coin to the coin mechanism, which means is normally held inactive by the merchandise and which means is rendered active to intercept the coin when the merchandise is depleted.

More particularly, the invention resides in a coin intercepting means which when rendered active to intercept the coin, is moved to effect the release of the coin upon manipulation of the coin mechanism so that the coin is permitted to gravitationally return to the vendee.

With the above recited and other objects in View, reference is had to the following descrip tion and accompanying drawings, in which there is exhibited one example or embodiment of the invention, while the claims define the actual scope of the same.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line indicated at 1 1 in Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View taken approximately on the line indicated at 2 2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view similar to Figure 2 and illustrating the normal vending operation of the machine.

Figure 4 is a similar View illustrating the interception of a coin.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional View taken approximately on the line 5 5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a similar View taken approximately cn the line 6 6 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, A designates generally the Vending machine casing, within which is arranged a support B for one or more stacks of articles C to be vended. At its lower end, the support for each stack is provided with the ledges l0 upon which the lcwermost article rests and from which it is designed to be displaced rearwardly, as illustrated in Figure 3, into a delivery chute D, 'se lower end of which terminates adjacent a delivery opening 11 formed in the front wall 12 of the casing A.

The coin control mechanism in the present instance consists of a horizontally slidable plunger bar 13 having a number of coin slots 14 corresponding to the number of stacks of articles C. The plunger bar 13 is provided with rear wardly directed side legs 15 which are slotted at 16 and guided by stationary guides, such as screws 17, which extend through the slot 16. The plunger bar 13 is provided with a central forwardly directed manipulating plunger 18 which extends through an opening in the front wall l2 of the casing. Suitably formed between the front wall 12 of the casing and the stack support B is a coin chute 19 which leads downwardly from the coin receiving openings 20 formed in the front Wall 12 of the casing, the lower end of the coin chute opening into the merchandise delivery chute D adjacent the delivery opening 11. The coin chute 19 is open intermediate its ends to permit the plunger bar to intersect the same, and a horizontal coin shelf 21 extends rearwardly from the lower edge of the open intermediate portion of the coin chute and is disposed parallel to the path of movement of the plunger bar 13. It will be observed that the coin slots 14 in the plunger bar are slanted .rearwardly so that the upper receiving ends are in registry with the coin chute 19 while the lower outlet ends overlie the coin shelf 21 when the plunger bar is in intersecting relation to the coin chute. The plunger bar and manipulating plunger 18 are normally urged forwardly by suitable means, such as the coiled contractile plunger springs 22, the opposite ends of which are respectively attached as at 23 to the rear ends of the legs 15 and as at 24 to the coin shelf 21. The arrangement thus described is such that the insertion of a coin E in the coin opening 20 causes the coin to be guided by and gravitated downwardly into the coin slot 14, where the lower edge of the coin rests upon the coin shelf 21. When the vendee pushes inwardly on the manipulating plunger 18, the coin is moved into engagement with the lowermost article C of the stack to displace the same from ti e ledges l0, Where it is ejected into the merchandise delivery chute D and gravitates to a delivery position closely adjacent the delivery opening 11. A coin box 25 is located within the upper forward portion of the delivery chute in such a relation to the rear edge of the coin shelf 21 that simultaneously With the ejection of the merchandise, the coin E rides over the rear edge of the shelf 21 and is dropped into the coin box, as illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings.

In order to provide means for returning to the vendee a coin which is inserted in the machine after the depletion of the merchandise, a follower F, which rests upon the uppermost article of each stack, is formed with a vertical slot 26 opening through its lower face 27 and a hooked detent 28 is fulcrumed on a transverse pivot pin 29 at a point closely adjacent the forward upper portion of the slot 26. Normally the detent 28 is disposed in the inactive position il lustrated in Figure 2, it being held in this position by the merchandise. The detent is so constructed that when the last article in the stack has been dispensed, it springs by gravity from the broken line position in Figure 4 to the full line position, where its terminal or extremity 30 intercepts a coin E which is inserted in the coin chute 19 suisequent to the dispensing of the last article in the stack, and thereby dei-ains the coin and prevents its gravitation into the slot 14 of the plunger bar 13. It will be observed that the plunger bar is formed with a beveled corner 31, With which the detent 28 engages when in the active coin intercepting position shown in full lines in Figure Li. It thus follows that after the coin E is inserted and intercepted or detained and the vendee pushes inwardly on the manipulating plunger 18, the beveled face 3l cams the detent upwardly simultaneously with the inward movement of the plunger bar and permits the coin E to be released and to fall by gravity directly through the lower portion of the coin chute 19 and into the bottom of the casing adjacent the delivery opening 11, Where it may be recovered by the vendee. Obviously, when the plunger bar 13 is returned by the springs 22 to its normal position, the detent 28 again swings to its active coin intercepting position.

From the foregoing, it will thus be seen that a coin control mechanism including an improved means for returning a coin which is inserted after the completion of the merchandise, has been devised which is simple and positive in its aotion and insures against the retention of a coin by the machine in event of its insertion after the last article has been dispensed.

While there has been illustrated and described a preferred embodiment or" the invention, it is to be understood that no limitation is intended to the precise structural details, as variations and modifications thereof may be resorted to which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A coin controlled mechanism for vending machines, including a casing having a Vertical coin guide leading to an outlet of the casing, a coin box secured to a wall of said guide intermediate the ends of the latter, a coin shelf at the top of the coin box, a horizontally sliding plunger normally intersecting the coin guide and having an inclined coin slot therein normally holding a coin at an angle across the coin guide and supported on the coin shelf to eject an article when the plunger is operated, means to hold back a coin from the plunger when the casing is empty, said means operated by the plunger to free the coin and permit the same to all down the coin guide to the outlet of the casing.

2. A coin controiied mechanism for vending machines, including a casing having a vertical coin guide leading to an outlet of the casing, a coin box secured to a wall of said guide intermediate the ends of the latter, a coin shelf at the top of the coin box, a horizontally sliding plunger normally intersecting the coin guide and having an inclined coin slot therein normally holding a coin at an angle across the coin guide and supported on the coin shelf to eject an article when the plunger is operated, means to hold back a coin from the plunger when the casing is empty, said means operated by the plunger to free the coin and permit the same to fall down the coin guide to the outlet of the casing, said means comprising a pivoted detent carried by a follower on a column oi articles to be vended and held out of operative position by the article.

3. A coin controlledy mechanism for vending machines, including a casing having a vertical coin guide leading to an outlet of the casing, a coin box secured to a wall of said guide intermediate the ends of the latter, a coin shelf at the top of the coin box, a horizontally sliding plunger normaily intersecting the coin guide and having an inclined coin slot therein normally holding a coin at an angle across the coin guide and supported on the coin shelf to eject an article when the plunger is operated, means to hold back a coin from the plunger when the casing is empty, said means operated by the plunger to free the coin and permit the same to :fall down the coin guide to the outlet of the casing, said means comprising a pivoted detent carried by the follower on a column of articles to be vended and held out of operative position by the article, and having a hooked end which is moved by gravity across the coin chute above the plunger and having a cani face engaged by the plunger to move the detent and allow the coin to fall straight down the chute.

BENJAMIN WACI-IS. MURRAY A WACHS. DAVID H. COLIN.

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